Wrench.



No. 669,570. Patented Mar. l2, l90l.

A. K. WOLFE.

WRENCH...

(Application filed May 11, 1900.) (No Model.)

m1 Nonms Firms 00., momumo wunmovcn n c UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

ABNER K. WOLFE, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGEH. LINDLEY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 669,570, dated March 12,1901 Application filed May 11, 1900. Suitable-16,293. (No model To aZZwhont it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER K. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Kansas City, in the count of Wyan- 5 dotte andState of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in\Vrenches, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches. It is particularlyrelated to the style of wrenches termed monkey-wrenches.

The object of my invention is to provide a wrench in which the slidingjaw may be quickly and easily adjusted upon the shank to any positiondesired.

The invention comprises the combination, with the ordinary shank havinga fixed jaw and a sliding jaw mounted on the shank, of a cam carried bythe sliding jaw and operated automatically by the pressure exerted inuse upon the sliding jaw, a shank-engaging member on which the cam isadapted to bear, means for normally holding the said member inengagement with the shank,and means for releasing the said member fromsuch engagement.

My invention provides, further, certain novel features of construction,hereinafter fully described and explained.

In the accom panyingdrawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1represents a longitudinal view partly in section. resents a sideelevation view.

Similar letters of reference-indicate similar parts.

A represents the shank, provided with the ordinary fixed jaw B.Longitudinally movable upon the shank A is the ordinary sliding jaw O.The right side of the shank, as shown in Fig. 1,' is provided with aseries of transverse serrations or teeth. It is also provided on thesame side with a longitudinal groove D, extending from near the handleof the wrench nearly to the fixed jaw B. In the interior of that portionof the sliding jaw which is disposed on-the serrated side of the shankis provided a recess or chamber E, in which is mounted a cam F, theouter endof 50 which is pivotally connected to the sliding jaw O. Thepivotal connection which I pre- Fig. 2 repfor as the one affording themost simplicity and strength is that in which the outer end of the cam Fis in the form of the arc of a circle which fits into acorrespondingly-shaped seat provided in the interior wall of the jaw C.To the inner end of the cam F is pivotally mounted in any desirablemanner the shank-engaging member G, the side adjacent to the shank beingprovided with transverse 6o serrations adapted to engage the serrationson the shank. The preferable forni of connection between the cam'F andthe member G is to provide in the member G an arcuate recess in which ispivotally fitted the correspondingly-shaped inner end of the cam F. Thedisposition of the cam F approaches a horizontal position, so thatpressure upon the jaw C will tend to force the cam F at right angles tothe wrench-shank. This disposition of the cam causes the workingpressure on the jaw O to be thrown perpendicular to the axis of theshank instead of causing the strain to be exerted upon the serrations ofthe member G and the shank in a direction par allel with the axis of theshank. Danger of stripping the said serrations is thus obviated. Anyconvenient means may be employed for holding the member G normally inengagement with the shank. The means which Ipre- 8o fer to employ is toprovide a coil-spring H, the upper end of which rests within an upwardlyand inwardly inclined recess provided in the member G. The lower end ofthe coil-spring H abuts against the inner wall of the jaw O. In order todisengage the member G-from eugagement with the shank A, I have provideda lever I, the upper end of which extendsbetween the wall of the jaw Oand the member G. In order to prevent the member G from being forcedinwardly at its upper end without. at the same time freeing the lowerend of the member G, the lever I is so shaped as to bear upon thatportion of the member G horizontally opposite the inner end of the camF. The lever I is mounted and lengthwise movable in the slot or grooveD. It is provided at the point K with a fulcrum projeotion, which restsupon the bottom of the groove. The lower end of the lever I extendsoutwardly through a slot L, provided in the lower end of the jaw O, andhas provided on its exterior end a thumb-piece M, by means of which thelever is inwardly de pressed.

My invention is operated as follows: By depressing the lower end of thelever I it is rocked on the fulcrum K, the upper end of the lever beingforced outwardly and against the member G, which is also outwardlyforced and moves also in a downward direction, due to its pivotalconnection with the cam F, against the pressure of the spring H. Thewedge-like form, as indicated by J in Fig. l, materially assists thedownward and out ward movement of the member G by coming in contact withthe wall of the recess E. The member G now being free from engagementwith the shank, the jaw C may be moved lengthwise to any desirableposition upon the shank, at which time the pressure on the thumb-piece Mis removed, permitting the spring H to again force the member G intoengagement With the shank. Pressure now being applied upon theshank-handle for the purpose of tightening a knot or accomplishing otherwork will have a tendency to force the jaw O downward on the shank. Themember G, being engaged with the shank, cannot partake of this downwardmovement,

.but will remain stationaryQ The outer end of the cam F, however, beingfree to move with the jaw, willin a degree partake of such movement, andwill thus bring into play the cam -1ocking features of the device. Thecam F, being disposed in a nearly horizontal position, will cause thepressure exerted upon the jaw O to be exerted almost perpendicularly tothe shank-axis. The greater the pressure thusexerted on the jaw thetighter the member G will be forced against the shank and the morenearly horizontal will become the pressure on the cam F. Theconfigurations of. the teeth or serrations in the shank and member G maybe such as is desired. In order to more readily release the member fromthe shank, it is desirable that the teeth be V-shaped, although this isnot essential.

My invention is adapted to many modifications while still retaining thespirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw, transverseserrations on one side of the shank, and a longitudinal groove in theshank, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank, a shank-engaging membercarried by the slidable jaw, a swinging member pivotally connected withthe shank-engaging member and the slidable jaw,and alever fulcrumed onthe shank within the said longitudinal groove, and bearing upon theshank-engaging member at one end and having its free end depressible,substantially as described.

2. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and having alongitudinal groove in one side, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank,means for locking the slidable jaw in engagement with the shank, and alever fulcrumed in the shank-groove and movable with the slidable jawand cooperating with the shank'engaging means for releasing the slidablejaw from engagement with the shank, substantially as described.

3. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and having alongitudinal groove in one side, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank,a shank-engaging member carried by the slidable jaw, means for forcingthe said member into engagement with the shank and a lever fulcrumed inthe shankgroove and movable with the slidable jaw and bearing upon. thesaid shank-engaging member, substantially as described.

4. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and having alongitudinal groove in one side, a slidable jaw mounted upon the shank,the shank-engaging member G carried by the slidable jaw, the cam F,pivotally connected to the member G and the slidable jaw, a spring forforcing the member G into engagement with the shank and a lever Ifulcrumed in the groove of the shank, bearing upon the member G andmovable with the slidable jaw, substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABNER K. WOLFE.

Witnesses: I

WARREN D. HOUSE, DENTON DUNN.

